By Cara Hobbs Lewis
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded nearly $3.4 million — through the Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Diseases Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems program — to support seven projects that address epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, two-spot cotton leafhopper, tar spot in corn, red crown rot in soybeans, and pathogens that affect forestry and horticultural plants and strawberry production systems.
One of seven awardees, NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is receiving $500,000 to develop rapid response strategies to mitigate an emerging invasive fungal pathogen and reduce the risk of disease-associated strawberry losses.
“Food security is national security,” says Amy Grunden, associate dean for research and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. “NC State’s NC Agricultural Research Service (NCARS) is focused on protecting agricultural infrastructure, crops and livestock against biological threats, severe climate events and supply disruptions. Rapid responses to pest and disease events are critical to maintaining a secure, accessible, safe, nutritious, affordable, and abundant food supply.”
Source : ncsu.edu